74% of Sheffield taxi drivers collect people too drunk to remember their own address

Dan Hobson

Three quarters of Sheffield taxi drivers claim they have picked up people too drunk to remember their own address.

According to new research, an alarming 74 per cent of Sheffield taxi drivers said they have picked up passengers – both male and female – who can’t remember or communicate where they’re going due to excessive alcohol consumption.

Three quarters of Sheffield taxi drivers have picked up people too drunk to give their address, according to new research.

Out of 1,000 Sheffield taxi drivers surveyed, 60 per cent said they had to deal with passengers vomiting in their cabs and 64 per cent have had to take passengers to hospital.

Half of taxi drivers said they had experienced people passing out in their cab due to intoxication.

Tim Crighton, marketing director of insure company insureTAXI, which commissioned the research, has sent a warning to students ahead of 'Freshers Week', which starts the new term with an abundance of parties.

He said: “It’s an exciting time for thousands of students who are about to start university and move away from home for the first time.

"There will be lots of fun social events and activities going on to help people meet new friends and explore their new locations, and often these will involve alcohol.

“We know that taxi drivers regularly have to deal with passengers who have drunk too much and while we don’t want to sound like a killjoy, it’s important for young people to be sensible and savvy when going on nights out – especially if they’re in an unfamiliar place.

“During Freshers Week, we’re urging students to familiarise themselves with where the approved taxi ranks are in the town and near their students union, as well as save the details of a couple of local taxi firms in their phone.

"Remember, you can only hail down public hire cabs – such as Hackney black cabs – and you must pre-book private hire cabs. Alternatively, if Uber operates in your area the app can be a good solution.

“It’s important to make a note of your new address and any road names or landmarks it’s near so you can give your driver the correct address. And wherever possible, always try to go home with friends and don’t leave anyone to go home on their own – particularly if they’ve had a drink or two.”

To see insureTAXI’s top ten student safety tips, visit www.insuretaxi.com/blog.